New scanners to cut M-way closures

The Government has announced that new high-tech laser scanning equipment will be given to police forces in order to cut down the number of hours a road has to be closed after a serious car crash.

The Department for Transport has awarded 27 police forces across England a total of £2.7 million.

The funding will enable them to buy laser scanners which will make a 3D image of the crash site, saving investigators hours spent surveying multiple sections of the scene.

Investigators will be able to see the images taken through the scanners on a computer screen remotely. This will allow them to examine important evidence and take measurements of where vehicles are in relation to each other.

Roads minister Mike Penning said: "There is nothing more frustrating than being stuck in a traffic jam for hours on end. But even worse than that is the shocking £1 billion cost of those lost hours for our economy. That is why we are determined to improve the clear-up of accidents so we can get our motorways reopened as quickly as possible."

He added: "Today's £2.7 million funding award will see 3D laser scanners rolled out quickly where they are needed most. This will benefit drivers by reducing incident clear up times by 39 minutes on average."